Friday, August 09, 2013

Santa Fe Visits Yokosuka during Western Pacific Deployment

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka Aug. 8 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific.

With a crew of 135 men, Santa Fe will conduct a multitude of missions and showcase the latest capabilities of the submarine fleet.

"Santa Fe is enthusiastic to be on deployment, conducting security and cooperation engagements with our closest allies," said Cmdr. Timothy J. Poe, Santa Fe's commanding officer. "The ship will practice multiple mission areas, while training the next generation of submariners on operations in the Western Pacific."

Santa Fe is a preeminent weapon in the nation's naval arsenal. Exercising dominant control of the littoral and open sea, Santa Fe prepares the battle space, promotes maritime security and deters aggression across the globe.

Master Chief Electronics Technician Juan Gonzalez, chief of the boat, is enthusiastic about the crew responsibly enjoying liberty after an arduous work up period in preparation for deployment.

"Our Sailors are eager to meet with the locals, interact with foreign military members, and learn more about the Japanese culture."

For many of the crew members, this is their first time visiting Japan.

Santa Fe is homeported in Pearl Harbor and is assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 7. She is named after the city of Santa Fe, N.M. Measuring more than 360 feet long and weighing more than 6,800 tons when submerged, Santa Fe is among the world's stealthiest platforms.. This submarine is capable of supporting a multitude of missions including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike, naval special warfare involving special operations forces, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

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